Why Unpredictability Leads to Optimism
The following chapter is from, Word Play: 101 Short Stories, Essays, and Insights to Improve Communication Skills
My brand shares a lot of stories regarding communication skills.
Mainly in the realm of public speaking, storytelling, emotional management, creativity, social skills, and mindset. These are the topics I cover the most.
When I first started ArmaniTalks, I had a follower ask me about his toxic relationship. He asked me why he stayed in this bad relationship even though he knew it was toxic.
That question gave me an idea.
I told him to check back in 15 minutes.
‘Why?’
Because I had 19 reasons why he stayed in a toxic relationship.
I proceeded to create a thread, “19 reasons why you don’t leave a toxic relationship.”
Once the follower came back and read my thread on Twitter, he was able to see at least 6 reasons why he stayed.
His question was answered.
And the thread ended up resonating with many people.
The thread had gotten so popular that I decided I might as well convert it to blog format.
Even though my brand doesn’t cover relationships that much, why not?
Let’s make this thread a blog post.
Well, I have probably released 150+ blogs since then.
And that blog on toxic relationships is my second most popular article.
It has bought me thousands of visitors from all over the world & introduced the ArmaniTalks brand to a new segment of people on Google.
This was very surprising to me because I had no clue that this post would do well at all.
Heck, it was not even a blog.
Just a Twitter thread which was formatted for WordPress.
This went onto flip my perspective and gave me a major insight.
‘What?’
You never know what may be your next ‘big’ thing.
Nowadays, every time I write a blog, I write with a high level of enthusiasm.
My subconscious mind thinks, ‘if you can have a piece on toxic relationships which will randomly blow up, how do you know that this blog on conversation skills won’t blow up as well?’
That is not my main intention while writing.
Gaining traffic is always secondary.
I try to be a student of the game when it comes to writing.
That’s what motivates me.
But it does show that unpredictability leads to more data points.
And those data points can make you more optimistic if you acknowledge it.
Let’s say my next 40 blogs never get picked up by Google.
As an optimist, I can always say:
‘But the 41st blog may get picked up by Google. Don’t forget, I have a blog on relationships ranking, even though that’s not my niche.’
That’s the difference between the optimist and the pessimist.
- The pessimist looks for all the reasons why it will not work out.
- The optimist looks for that ONE reason why it will work out.
Then they fall in love with that ONE reason.
They build a relationship with that ONE reason.
Their mind becomes ONE pointed towards that one reason.
When the mind becomes ONE pointed in the task, it’s easier to replicate optimism in other tasks.
That’s not to vilify pessimism.
Pessimism has its place.
My philosophy is that pessimism exercises intellect while optimism exercises faith.
A blend of both is needed.
But it’s the judgment to know when to apply which that is key.
Unpredictably is the gateway that will build that judgment.
Even if it may not seem like it for now.
GET THE FULL WORD PLAY BOOK HERE:
📖 Paperback/Kindle
📖 Audiobook
